SnifferTrek
Côte d'Azur.
Five days. Coast, not the highway.
Picasso, Corniche, Saint-Tropez.
Five nights along the Riviera: Nice, then Mougins, then the Saint-Tropez area. What stays: Cours Saleya early, Plage Keller, the Corniche via Agay – and villages instead of the highway.
The route
Three bases · one coastline
1 + 2 + 2 nights. Provence only on the way back.
- 1 night
Nice / Èze
Arrive · optional Monaco briefly
- 2 nights
Mougins / Cannes
Plage Keller · Picasso
- 2 nights
St-Tropez area
Corniche · Grimaud · Ramatuelle
Transition: Corniche d'Or via Agay (red rocks) – not the A8.
Getting there
Car from Italy · or fly Nice + rental car
Arrive by car from Italy or fly Nice plus a rental car – then the Corniche on the ground.
Car from Italy · A8
Fine for arriving – once you’re there, coast instead of motorway.
Tolls + petrol
Fly Nice + rental car
NCE → first night Nice → on towards the Cap and Mougins.
Rental from about 45 € / day
Corniche d'Or
Cannes → Agay → St-Tropez along the sea. Drive back through Provence separately.
more time, more Riviera
Chapter 1 · Nice
Arrive – and don’t force anything
First night near Nice or Èze: drop the bags, check the rental car, shower. If you come from Italy on the A8, same rhythm – arrival day is for arriving, not a marathon.
If you still have energy: Cours Saleya in the late afternoon – stalls packing up, fewer selfie sticks than at midday. Or up the Colline du Château: view over the Baie des Anges, no casino pressure.
Once we did a ‘quick Monaco’ after the flight – car park full, bad mood. Since then: arrival day = socca and bed. Monaco only with buffer. Chez Pipo at half past seven: crispy, a queue of locals – that’s when we knew Nice was right.
- 1 night Nice / ÈzeTip: Hôtel Les Terrasses d'Èze – or a hotel near the centre / Vieux Nice.Nice · tourism
- Rental carPick up at the airport · reserve early.Nice Airport
Nice · first night
Chapter 2 · Cap d'Antibes
Plage Keller – the moment on the water
Morning in Antibes: Musée Picasso in the Grimaldi fortress, then ten minutes through the old town – Marché Provençal, if it’s still open. No Croisette programme.
Then the highlight: lunch at Plage Keller. Sand, fish, sea – a reservation is worth it. If you still want to walk: a stretch of the Sentier du Littoral / towards Garoupe – rocks, no sun-lounger duty.
We reserved at Keller and still waited – didn’t matter. After the fish, another twenty minutes on the Cap path: suddenly quiet, only waves. First real ‘we’ve arrived’ moment – not on the Croisette.
- Plage KellerCap d'Antibes · reservation · check the season.Plage Keller
- Picasso AntibesGrimaldi fortress · morning, before the beach lunch.Musée Picasso
Plage Keller · Cap d'Antibes
Chapter 3 · Mougins
A quiet base above the coast
Morning in Mougins Village, before the gallery coaches arrive: lanes, view to the coast. Our counterpoint to the Croisette: the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Vie a little outside – Picasso view, little souvenir noise.
Then Vallauris: Picasso chapel before the boutiques (we learned that the hard way). Afternoon: hotel pool – or evening Le Suquet in Cannes, a lane above the Croisette, no festival prices.
In the hotel garden we deliberately planned nothing. Evening in the Suquet, a table without a sea-view surcharge – better mood than on the Croisette. Notre-Dame-de-Vie in the morning: three tourists, lots of wind – our Mougins moment.
- Hotel de Mougins2 nights · alternative: Cannes.Hotel de Mougins
- VallaurisPicasso ceramics · close to Mougins.Picasso Vallauris
- Golf14 courses from Nice to Gassin – map with intro, handicap and green fee.Open golf map
Mougins · hill village
Chapter 4 · Transition
Corniche d'Or – then Port Grimaud
Check-out – and the stretch that shows the Côte: Cannes along the sea via Théoule, photo stop at the red rocks near Agay (set a timer), on towards the gulf. That’s the Corniche d'Or.
The A8 is faster and dull. GPS often pushes the motorway – lock in the coast route.
Once we took the A8 via Le Muy – barely any sea. Second time Agay with a stop: holiday again. In St-Tropez Place des Lices instead of the harbour strip – and Port Grimaud in the afternoon: breathing again.
- 2 nights in the areaTip: Hôtel de Paris Saint-Tropez – or quieter towards Grimaud.Saint-Tropez · tourism
Saint-Tropez · harbour early
Chapter 5 · The area
Grimaud & Ramatuelle – and goodbye
Grimaud up top: castle view, then a lane for ice cream – contrast to Port Grimaud below. Optional short detour to Gassin: village square, view over the peninsula, zero harbour noise.
Ramatuelle: village first, then decide whether Pampelonne is even still on. Often sand on your feet in the village is enough – less posing than St-Tropez harbour.
Ice cream in a Grimaud lane, ten minutes of Gassin view, sand in Ramatuelle – and Provence already in our heads. We skipped Pampelonne on purpose this time. Better that way.
- GrimaudVillage + castle view · shoes for cobbles.Grimaud · tourism
- RamatuelleVillage and beach · park early at weekends.Ramatuelle · tourism
Grimaud · castle village
On the side
Food – set one highlight
Plage Keller was our most expensive and most beautiful lunch. In Nice: Chez Pipo (socca) and the market on Cours Saleya. In Mougins a bit more upscale, or evening in the Suquet – deliberately not the priciest Croisette strip.
In the area: near Place des Lices or village cooking in Grimaud / Ramatuelle. One strong beach lunch beats three average ‘view’ restaurants.
After Keller we tried to force ‘one more of those’ on the St-Tropez harbour strip – we got lost in it. Better: set one highlight, otherwise eat honestly. Chez Pipo and Keller are enough as anchors.
Market · Côte d'Azur
At a glance
Less highway. More sea.
Nice · Vieux Nice & Promenade
Èze · village above the sea
Saint-Paul-de-Vence
Grasse · perfume & Vieille Ville
Antibes · Picasso & old town
Plage Keller · Cap d'Antibes
Map
Must-sees & nice-to-sees
Blue = must-do. Grey = if you still have time and legs. Tap a marker for a short tip.
Stay
Bases. Five days.
Book in steps – Booking.com first (affiliate): 1 night Nice/Èze, 2 nights Mougins or Cannes, 2 nights St-Tropez area. Or Hotels.com and Expedia.
Arrival · sea view
Hôtel Les Terrasses d'Èze
Between Nice and Monaco – spa, terraces, a strong start instead of downtown Nice.
Search on Booking.comArrival alternative
Hotels nahe Nizza
First night after a flight or arriving from Italy – centre or quiet to the west.
Search on Booking.comOur favourite
Hôtel de Mougins
Quiet base above the coast – pool, garden, short drives to Cannes and Antibes.
Search on Booking.comAlternative to Mougins
Hotels in Cannes
If you want to stay on the Croisette in the evenings – skip festival week.
Search on Booking.comSt-Tropez area
Hôtel de Paris Saint-Tropez
In town – spa, pool, close to the harbour. Grimaud, Port Grimaud and Ramatuelle as day trips.
Search on Booking.comQuieter alternative
Hotels Region Saint-Tropez
Away from the harbour – Grimaud and Ramatuelle without the back-and-forth rush.
Search on Booking.com
Some links to Booking.com, Hotels.com and tours are affiliate links – if you book, we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Côte d'Azur
How are the nights split?
1 night near Nice, 2 nights Mougins or Cannes, 2 nights in the Saint-Tropez area.
What is Plage Keller?
A private beach with a restaurant on Cap d'Antibes. Our highlight – reserve, lunch after Picasso Antibes.
Why not do it all from Cannes?
Because Grimaud and Ramatuelle as a day trip is a rush. Two nights on the ground feel like a holiday.
Arrive by car or plane?
Both: A8 from Italy or fly Nice plus a rental car. On the ground, coast instead of motorway.
Hotel de Mougins or Cannes?
Mougins for quiet and a pool. Cannes if you want to stay on the Croisette in the evenings.
What comes after the Riviera?
Our Provence route links Avignon, the Luberon, Aix and Verdon in six days.
What stays: Keller, Agay, quiet in Mougins, Grimaud without harbour noise.
What stays: Keller, Agay, quiet in Mougins, Grimaud without harbour noise. If you want to get to know the Côte, stay by the water. Provence – a report of its own.